1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of electronic article surveillance (“EAS”), and more particularly relates to a novel EAS tag and companion lanyard which can be placed in releaseably lockable engagement with an article over which security precautions are being exercised without the use of a locking pin.
2. Related Art
Devices used to affix EAS tags to retail merchandise and other items over which security precautions against theft is desired are legion. One example is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,900 to Humble et al. which shows a reusable security tag comprised of a housing containing a detectable element, such as a passive tuned circuit being responsive to a surveillance signal, in the form of, for example, electromagnetic, acousto-magnetic or radio frequency energy, and a pin adapted to be passed through a garment and through one or more corresponding apertures in the housing. The pin is held in place within the housing by a metal clutch lock to thereby sandwich the garment between the tag housing and the pin. The pin is removed from engagement with the clutch lock by a special detachment apparatus, which applies force to the clutch lock in such a way as to cause the clutch lock to disengage from the pin. The object of this device is to permit for easy attachment of the tag to the garment or article to be monitored but to prevent easy removal by unauthorized hands. On the other hand, the retail clerk must have a simple convenient means for readily removing tags from garments which, due to purchase or other reasons, may be removed legitimately from the premises.
Numerous other EAS tag attachment apparatus have been proposed, the vast majority of Them being of the type which also utilize a releaseably securable pin as discussed above. Some of these other devices employ a strap or lanyard, similar to the well-known “tie wraps”, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,943 to Scott et al. which discloses a bundling strap having an elongated thin strap body connected to a locking head end, the strap being adapted to be looped back upon itself and inserted into the head end. The head end defines an aperture or passage corresponding generally in shape to the cross-sectional configuration of the strap. Serrations or ratchets defined by the strap body matingly engage corresponding teeth defined by the passage in the head end to permit the strap to be inserted into and passed through the passage in one direction but not to be withdrawn therefrom. Such arrangements have been used to attach EAS tags to merchandise using pin-type attachments, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,524,463 to Schenkel et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,226,839 to Sayegh, and others.
Many articles of merchandise are not susceptible to having an EAS tag attached thereto using a pin, as either the dimensions of the article or the material out of which the article is made are not susceptible of being pierced by a pin. Therefore, attaching an EAS tag to an article using a releaseably secured lanyard that does not utilize a pin and that is of simple construction and inexpensive is desired.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a theft deterrent tag and attachment assembly which can be attached to irregularly shaped articles.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a theft deterrent tag and attachment assembly which is of simple construction and is inexpensive to use.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a theft deterrent tag and attachment assembly which is adapted to permit conventionally-shaped EAS housings to be attached to articles without the use of a pin-type attachment structure.